During the American Civil War from 1861-1865, many countries took advantage of the fighting to invest on each side. France was interested in not being dependent on Britain for cotton, which it used in large quantities. Britain was in the same situation as France, needing a lot of cotton to satisfy British manufacturers. The South, with the largest percent of it's economy cotton, seemed a brilliant alternative. Although Britain was officially neutral, it sympathized with the Confederacy, for it supplied a vital product to Britain's economy. Britain did not agree with slavery, but British ship yards supplied the Confederacy with many blockade runners. Britain defended these actions, saying that a raider was not a raider until it was fitted with weapons, which it didn't until it reached Confederate shores.
Cartoons
British Cartoon depicting Abraham Lincoln giving a free slave a gun
A British Cartoon when war with the Union seemed inevitable.
British Cartoon after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
British Intervention
Britain played a large role in the American Civil War. Britain was officially neutral, but one incident brought it perilously close to war with the Union. It was very dependable on Southern Cotton, but even more in need of Northern wheat. The North threatened Britain in if it recognized the Confederacy, then it meant war with the United States and it's wheat supply cut off. Two Confederate Commissioners, James M. Mason of Virginia and John Slidell of Louisiana left Charlestown, South Carolina on a blockade-runner to Havana, Cuba via Nassau, Bahamas. There, they took passage on the British Mail Ship Trent to London. The Commissioners were on a mission to try and gain support from Britain. Although England was against slavery, it was still interested in the Civil War escalating, for they wanted to prove to the world that democracies did not work and the Monarchies were an ideal solution. At the same time, the U.S.S Jacinto was returning from a tour of the African Coast. It was looking for Confederate commerce raiders, which were active in the area. The Captain of the Jacinto, Captain Wilkes, got wind of the Commissioners on the British ship and went out to find them in the Bahamas Channel. Even though the ship was neutral, he interpreted international law as such. "A nation a war, had the right to stop and search and neutral merchant ship if that ship was suspected of carrying enemy dispatches. On November 8, 1861, Wilkes fired two shots across the bow of the Trent, and sent out a boat to search the ship. The two commissioners were arrested and sent to the Boston Fort Warren, in Boston Harbor. Wilkes was hailed a national hero and received thanks from Congress. Britain was in uproar. 11,000 British regulars were sent to Canada, and the British fleet was on high alert. A note was sent to the United States demanding an apology and the release of the prisoners. Many Yankees were willing to fight the British, but Lincoln stuck to his policy of one war at a time. An apology was given and the prisoners were released. This incident was ironic, for during the Napoleonic wars from 1803-1815, the British fleet was frequently stopping American Merchant ships and searching for French runaways. British newspapers were more focused on what was happening in Virginia then anything else in the world. When the North decided to impose British export tariffs, it hit hard. Britain believed in free trade, and to them, having a tax on imports was unacceptable.
British Intervention in the American Civil war: Interview with History Professor
French Intervention
France was officially neutral during the American Civil War. Economic interests, however, lead France to favor the Confederacy. The Union blockade of Confederate exports lead to the "famine du coton" or the cotton famine. France was interested in Central America (for trade and a transoceanic canal), and a Confederate victory would have made this ambition easier. French troops landed in Mexico in 1861. To keep in time with neutrality, France blocked the sale of the CSS Stonewall, which was being built in Bordaeux. It tried to sell the ironclad to the Royal Danish Navy, but they refused due to price issues. During January, 1865, France secretly sold it to the Confederacy.
John Welsford Cowell was born on March 30,1796. He was educated at Eton and went on to Trinity College at Cambridge. He became a successful banker, and married his first wife at the British Embassy in Paris. When the Civil War began, Cowell expressed his views, which were, "For four years, I tried, on various occasions, to explain to my fellow country men the vital duty which England had, in 1861, been called upon to fulfill towards herself, towards her race in the South and towards the whole of humanity." To aid the South, he wrote two pamphlets, Southern Secession: A Letter addressed to Captain M. T Maury of the Confederate States Navy, on His Letter to Admiral Fitzroy (1862) and Lancashire's wrongs and the Remedy (1863). England failing to listen, he turned to France. Cowell appeals to to French nation and commercial pride, for he knew that French manufacturers would be happy to not have to be dependable on British Cotton.
Canadian Intervention
Canada was not a country during the American Civil War, but was a territory controled by Britain. Canadians were largely opposed to slavery, which was one of the main goals of the Confederacy. It was the terminus of the Underground railroad. French Canadains, however, symphased with the Confederate Cause. Because of sympathy for the Confederate's and the location of Canada, Confederates used Canada as a base, which violated British neutrality.
Chesapeake Affair
On December 7, 1863, while the Union tug boat Chesepeake was preparing for service in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, 17 Confederate agents seized the it off of Cape Cod. On the 17 of December, the recently captured Confederate ship Ella and Annie caught the tug off Nova Scotia.
CSS Tallahassee
On August 18, 1864, the CSS Tallahassee sailed into Halifax for supplies. It was being persuad by two Union ships, the Nasemont and the Huron. The Tallahassee slipped out of the harbor by the cover of night, going through the seldom used eastern passage between Mcnab's Island and the Dartmouth shore. the channel was narrow and had a shallow tide. All of the lights were out, and it slipped out of the harbor evading capture.
St. Albans Raid
This was the biggest incident involving Canada in the Civil War. Montreal was used as a base for a secret team of Confederate agents carrying out operations. To finiace their operations, they robbed three banks in St. Albans, Vermont. They killed a citizen, and escaped back across the border with $170,000. Union forces crossed into Canada in pursuit, creating a diplomatic incident. The agents were later arrested by Canadian forces.
Soldiers Uniforms Paton
The typical uniform during the civil war was made mostly from wool. These uniforms consisted of belts supplying a cartridge box,
zouaves uniform
cap box, canteen, blanket, bayonet and scabbard, and a haversack containing their rations. A haversack is a knap sack; this was used to carry more
confederate uniform
delicate items such as, toothbrush, writing paper, or ink, etc. Zouaves, a North African troop, had the most colorful uniform in the war, constiting of vibrant red pants, and a match red cap.
Although the confederates had large quantities of cotton to make uniforms, they did not have the tools to produce them. This caused the confederate soldiers to have dull, scarce, and poorly made. The confederate uniform was a grey-ish brown color, this was the reasoning for the nickname "butternuts". The Confederate soldiers wore short jacks, vests, and light shirts, due to the warm weather. Shoes were rare, and when worn they were in poor quality. The scarce shoes became such a problem that it was said that one of the major reasons Lee decided to attack Gettysburg was to get the union stock pile of shoes.
union uniform
The Northern uniforms were much different than the confederate uniforms. The Union uniforms were dark blue coat with a lighter blue pants.Their hats were wool with a leather visor. On their caps, soldiers wore with pride, brass letters signifing what regiment and company they belonged to. The northern manufactures made accessing and producing items much easier than the confederates. Although the Union had less cotton than the south, the manufacture and industrial way of life made making items such as belts, cartridge boxes, cap boxes, etc, easier to access. The main reason the Union had better uniforms was because of the numerous mills, and was universally better, making importing cloth from england easier.
Bibliography
"Europe and the American Civil War." The American Civil War Home Page. N.p., 5 Nov. 1924. Web. 15 May 2011. <http://www.civilwarhome.com
Responses, the two sides had significant consequences for European. "The Diplomacy of the American Civil War." IOL . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2011. < http://www.iol.ie/~kiersey/civ
Foreign Intervention
Table of Contents
During the American Civil War from 1861-1865, many countries took advantage of the fighting to invest on each side. France was interested in not being dependent on Britain for cotton, which it used in large quantities. Britain was in the same situation as France, needing a lot of cotton to satisfy British manufacturers. The South, with the largest percent of it's economy cotton, seemed a brilliant alternative. Although Britain was officially neutral, it sympathized with the Confederacy, for it supplied a vital product to Britain's economy. Britain did not agree with slavery, but British ship yards supplied the Confederacy with many blockade runners. Britain defended these actions, saying that a raider was not a raider until it was fitted with weapons, which it didn't until it reached Confederate shores.
Cartoons
British Intervention
Britain played a large role in the American Civil War. Britain was officially neutral, but one incident brought it perilously close to war with the Union. It was very dependable on Southern Cotton, but even more in need of Northern wheat. The North threatened Britain in if it recognized the Confederacy, then it meant war with the United States and it's wheat supply cut off. Two Confederate Commissioners, James M. Mason of Virginia and John Slidell of Louisiana left Charlestown, South Carolina on a blockade-runner to Havana, Cuba via Nassau, Bahamas. There, they took passage on the British Mail Ship Trent to London. The Commissioners were on a mission to try and gain support from Britain. Although England was against slavery, it was still interested in the Civil War escalating, for they wanted to prove to the world that democracies did not work and the Monarchies were an ideal solution. At the same time, the U.S.S Jacinto was returning from a tour of the African Coast. It was looking for Confederate commerce raiders, which were active in the area. The Captain of the Jacinto, Captain Wilkes, got wind of the Commissioners on the British ship and went out to find them in the Bahamas Channel. Even though the ship was neutral, he interpreted international law as such. "A nation a war, had the right to stop and search and neutral merchant ship if that ship was suspected of carrying enemy dispatches. On November 8, 1861, Wilkes fired two shots across the bow of the Trent, and sent out a boat to search the ship. The two commissioners were arrested and sent to the Boston Fort Warren, in Boston Harbor. Wilkes was hailed a national hero and received thanks from Congress. Britain was in uproar. 11,000 British regulars were sent to Canada, and the British fleet was on high alert. A note was sent to the United States demanding an apology and the release of the prisoners. Many Yankees were willing to fight the British, but Lincoln stuck to his policy of one war at a time. An apology was given and the prisoners were released. This incident was ironic, for during the Napoleonic wars from 1803-1815, the British fleet was frequently stopping American Merchant ships and searching for French runaways. British newspapers were more focused on what was happening in Virginia then anything else in the world. When the North decided to impose British export tariffs, it hit hard. Britain believed in free trade, and to them, having a tax on imports was unacceptable.
French Intervention
France was officially neutral during the American Civil War. Economic interests, however, lead France to favor the Confederacy. The Union blockade of Confederate exports lead to the "famine du coton" or the cotton famine. France was interested in Central America (for trade and a transoceanic canal), and a Confederate victory would have made this ambition easier. French troops landed in Mexico in 1861. To keep in time with neutrality, France blocked the sale of the CSS Stonewall, which was being built in Bordaeux. It tried to sell the ironclad to the Royal Danish Navy, but they refused due to price issues. During January, 1865, France secretly sold it to the Confederacy.
John Welsford Cowell was born on March 30,1796. He was educated at Eton and went on to Trinity College at Cambridge. He became a successful banker, and married his first wife at the British Embassy in Paris. When the Civil War began, Cowell expressed his views, which were, "For four years, I tried, on various occasions, to explain to my fellow country men the vital duty which England had, in 1861, been called upon to fulfill towards herself, towards her race in the South and towards the whole of humanity." To aid the South, he wrote two pamphlets, Southern Secession: A Letter addressed to Captain M. T Maury of the Confederate States Navy, on His Letter to Admiral Fitzroy (1862) and Lancashire's wrongs and the Remedy (1863). England failing to listen, he turned to France. Cowell appeals to to French nation and commercial pride, for he knew that French manufacturers would be happy to not have to be dependable on British Cotton.
Canadian Intervention
Canada was not a country during the American Civil War, but was a territory controled by Britain. Canadians were largely opposed to slavery, which was one of the main goals of the Confederacy. It was the terminus of the Underground railroad. French Canadains, however, symphased with the Confederate Cause. Because of sympathy for the Confederate's and the location of Canada, Confederates used Canada as a base, which violated British neutrality.
Chesapeake Affair
On December 7, 1863, while the Union tug boat Chesepeake was preparing for service in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, 17 Confederate agents seized the it off of Cape Cod. On the 17 of December, the recently captured Confederate ship Ella and Annie caught the tug off Nova Scotia.
CSS Tallahassee
On August 18, 1864, the CSS Tallahassee sailed into Halifax for supplies. It was being persuad by two Union ships, the Nasemont and the Huron. The Tallahassee slipped out of the harbor by the cover of night, going through the seldom used eastern passage between Mcnab's Island and the Dartmouth shore. the channel was narrow and had a shallow tide. All of the lights were out, and it slipped out of the harbor evading capture.
St. Albans Raid
This was the biggest incident involving Canada in the Civil War. Montreal was used as a base for a secret team of Confederate agents carrying out operations. To finiace their operations, they robbed three banks in St. Albans, Vermont. They killed a citizen, and escaped back across the border with $170,000. Union forces crossed into Canada in pursuit, creating a diplomatic incident. The agents were later arrested by Canadian forces.
Soldiers Uniforms Paton
The typical uniform during the civil war was made mostly from wool. These uniforms consisted of belts supplying a cartridge box,Although the confederates had large quantities of cotton to make uniforms, they did not have the tools to produce them. This caused the confederate soldiers to have dull, scarce, and poorly made. The confederate uniform was a grey-ish brown color, this was the reasoning for the nickname "butternuts". The Confederate soldiers wore short jacks, vests, and light shirts, due to the warm weather. Shoes were rare, and when worn they were in poor quality. The scarce shoes became such a problem that it was said that one of the major reasons Lee decided to attack Gettysburg was to get the union stock pile of shoes.
The Northern uniforms were much different than the confederate uniforms. The Union uniforms were dark blue coat with a lighter blue pants.Their hats were wool with a leather visor. On their caps, soldiers wore with pride, brass letters signifing what regiment and company they belonged to. The northern manufactures made accessing and producing items much easier than the confederates. Although the Union had less cotton than the south, the manufacture and industrial way of life made making items such as belts, cartridge boxes, cap boxes, etc, easier to access. The main reason the Union had better uniforms was because of the numerous mills, and was universally better, making importing cloth from england easier.
Bibliography
"Europe and the American Civil War." The American Civil War Home Page. N.p., 5 Nov. 1924. Web. 15 May 2011. <http://www.civilwarhome.com
Responses, the two sides had significant consequences for European. "The Diplomacy of the American Civil War." IOL . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2011. < http://www.iol.ie/~kiersey/civ
"American Civil War, 15 November 2003 - Britain Views the American Civil War."American Civil War, The American Civil War...A Very British Affair. American Civil War Round Table, n.d. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://www.americancivilwar.org.uk/news_15-november-2003-britain-views-the-american-civil-war_80.htm>.
"Civil War Uniform." Civil War Academy.com. 2011. May 14, 2011.
<http://www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-uniform.html>
Pictures:
Confederate soldier
"Civil War Uniform, Uniforms during the Civil War, Civil War Soldier Uniform, Civil War Clothing." Civil War, American Civil War, Reconstruction. 2011. Web. 17 May 2011.
<http://www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-uniform.html>.
Zouaves
"Civil War Zouaves." Nolen As He Is Spoke. 1 Feb. 2010. Web. 17 May 2011. <http://jamesnolen.tumblr.com/post/365324374/your-daily-term-from-webb-garrisons-civil-war>.
Images
http://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/Navy_Ships/
http://www.arthist.umn.edu/aict/Tennielweb/punch/large/Tenniel611207a.jpg
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug03/henning/cwcartoons/cartoons/wmasks.jpg
http://jubiloemancipationcentury.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/lincoln-recruiting-a-negro-to-fight-one-good-turn.png?w=446&h=597
Notes